Chinese Attitude Towards Western World Change Between 1880s And 1920s
Discuss and analyses how did Chinese attitude towards the western world change between 1880s and 1920s, and what are the major impetuses for this major transformation.
Wilson Lu
1030700031
After the defeat by the British Empire in the First Opium War in 1820 led to the Treaty of Nanjing (1842), under which the cession of Hong Kong and opium was legitimized. The so call sinocentrism ebbed and flowed with China’s might and glory. The foreign trades were growing quickly due to China’s wealth not allowed Chinese monarchs to restrict and foreign countries threatened the Chinese. At the same time, it is first time that mutual influence between China and the west is more appropriate after 1840s. This paper will mainly focus on the discussion about what are the major impetuses for Chinese attitude …show more content…
towards the western world change between 1880s and 1920s.
What was the old world like? Industrialization vs. Confucianism.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the UK experienced a great improve in agricultural productivity known as the British Agricultural Revolution, which enabled an unprecedented population growth in western world and it also have a significant role to the Industrial Revolution. Isaac Newton monograph Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Latin for "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" published in 1687, laid the foundations for most of classical mechanics. After that Matthew Boulton and James Watt they entered into a partnership and Watt developed several inventions, which improved the steam engine. It is first time human being do not need to rely on natural power. After that, the steam engine was claimed to be the landmark of industrial revolution and Watt also named the father of industrial revolution. When Boulton and Watt those Scotland people were perfecting the engine a scholar called Adam Smith was editing his drafts. This draft could view as a special engine, which advocated people’s wealth growing and it provided power to the society changing continuously. The draft published in 1776 named An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, also usually abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations. It considered the first modern work of economics, which make sure the accumulation of capital allowed investments in the conception and application of new technologies, enabling the industrialization process to continue to evolve. The industrialization process formed a class of industrial workers who had more money to spend than their agricultural cousins. They spent this on items such as tobacco and sugar, creating new mass markets that stimulated more investment as merchants sought to exploit them. The mechanization of production spread to the countries surrounding England geographically in Europe such as France and to British settler colonies, helping to make those areas the wealthiest, and shaping what is now known as the Western world.
By the end of Qianlong Emperor’s long reign, the Qing Empire was at its top. China ruled more than one over third of the world’s population, and had the largest economy in the world. By area of extent, it was one of the largest empires ever in history. The core of the dynasty was Confucianism, the belief that human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self- creation. Those six books and four class were the textbook for the imperial civil service examination (Keju). At that time society divided into four classes name as Gentry, peasant, monk and merchant. Merchant class is the lowest class in the traditional Chinese society. It was because they do not produce anything, only profit from others’ creations. Ironically, the merchant class was more affluent than farmers and artisans and held influence above and beyond their supposed social standing.
Opium War I&II
The First Opium War was fought between the UK and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade. Before that that war, western people was tread badly by Chinese, in fact, British people just want trade fairly, such as wool sell in market. But the imperial government only allowed them trade in Thirteen Factories(十三行), near Shameen Island.
High-value luxury items such as tea and silver dominated the Sino-Anglo trade; to the extent the European specie metals became widely used in China. Opium as another good to both reduces the trade deficit and finally gain profit from the formerly money-losing Indian Colony and the Qing government originally tolerated the importation of opium.
The Second Opium War was lasting from 1856 to 1860. It was fought over similar issues as the First Opium War. The 1850s saw the rapid growth of imperialism. Some of the shared goals of the western powers were the expansion of their overseas markets and the establishment of new ports of call. The French Treaty of Huangpu and the American Wangxia Treaty both contained clauses allowing renegotiation of the treaties. In an effort to expand the Britain privileges in China, who were demanded included opening all of China to UK, legalizing the opium trade, regulation of the coolie trade etc. Notably speaking, the results were EXTRATERRITORALITY, MOST FAVOURITE NATION STATUS, TREATY PROT and CESSION OF HONKONG TO THE BRITISH.
Self-Strengthening Movement
During the late Qing dynasty following a series of military defeats and concessions to western world, Qing government reformed its institutions for example the Zongli Yamen(Office of Foreign Affairs) was formed. As a result of treaties with the Western powers, the two ports of Tianjin and Shanghai were opened. Two officials titled Commissioner of Trade for the southern and northern ports, respectively were appointed to administer foreign trade matters at the newly opened ports. The military was modernized, this seen to be the most important goal of the Self-Strengthening Movement. The Qing government tried to develop military industries to strengthen the navy. It was believed that the Chinese civilization was superior to those of Western “Barbarians”, and thus China would first learn from foreigners, the equal them, and finally surpass them.
However, corrupt officials, cynicism, and quarrels within the imperial family undermined the reform. At that time the Imperial Government of China sent the very first delegation of students abroad. Between 1872 and 1875, the Qing government dispatched 4 groups, in total 120students to the US. Their average age was only 12.
Sino-Japanese War
After Comodore Matthew Perry’s first visited japan with his “black ship” on july 9th, 1853 and the fall of the Tokugawa Bakufu and Meiji Restoration Japan found another way to strengthen itself. During the Meiji Restoration period the Japanese had sent delegations and students around the world in order to learn and assimilate western arts and science. This was done not only to prevent japan from falling under foreign domination but to enable japan to compete equally with the Western powers.
After the Sino-Japanese War, the treaty of Shimonoseki was signed. It represent a clear indication of the failure of the Qing dynasty’s attempts to modernize its military and fend off threats to its sovereignty, especially compare with Japanese successful post-Meiji restoration. For the first time, regional dominance in East Asia shifted from China to Japan. Then the prestige of the Qing Dynasty, along with the classical tradition in china suffered a major blow. Within China, the defeat was a catalyst for a series of revolutions and political changes led by Sun Yat-Sen and Kang Youwei. Those trends would later manifest in the 1911 Revolution.
1911 Revolution
In October of 1911, a group of revolutionaries in southern China led a successful revolt against the Qing Dynasty, establishing in its place the Republic of China and ending the imperial system.
In the Nineteenth Century, the Qing Empire faced a number of challenges to its rule, including a number of foreign incursions into Chinese territory. The two Opium Wars against Western powers led by Great Britain resulted in the loss of Hong Kong, forced opening of “treaty ports” for international trade, and large foreign “concessions” in major cities privileged with extraterritorial rule. After its loss in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), Imperial China was forced to relinquish control over still more of its territory, losing Taiwan and parts of Manchuria and ending its suzerainty over Korea. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)firmly established Japanese claims to the Northeast and further weakened Qing rule. Finally, after the competition between Yuan Shikai and Sun Yat-Sen, Sun won it and was elected as the provisional president of the newly declared Republic of China.
According to the history events I have wrote above, the western technologies and thoughts advocated Chinese attitude towards the western world change between 1880s and 1920s. Chinese was consider western citizens as “barbarian” just like the role of Korea before, then after the western society developing China seen to be left backward and Western powers were bulling Chinese and those unequal treaties are the best evident. During that period, Chinese actually looking for way to enrich the country, strengthen the military and learned from Western powers.
Bibliographies:
Blackburn, Robin. “Enslavement and Industrialisation.” BBC British History, 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/industrialisation_article_01.shtml.
Farris, Johnathan. “Thirteen Factories of Canton: An Architecture of Sino-Western Collaboration and Confrontation,” 2007. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bdl/summary/v014/14.1farris.html.
Kurth, James.
“Western Civilization, Our Tradition,” 2004. http://www.mmisi.org/ir/39_01_2/kurth.pdf.
Office of the HISTORIAN. “MILESTONES: 1899-1913” (2012). http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/ChineseRev.
Le Pichon, Alain. China Trade and Empire, 2006.
Revolutionary Players. “A Portrait of James Watt,” 2012. http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=53&originator=/engine/custom/people.asp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=163&text=0&resource=17.
Spence, Jonathan. “Qianlong: Ruler, Connoisseur, and Scholar,” 2004. http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_article/pg_24-30_qianlong.pdf.
“BRITISH IMPERIALISM and ASIA, to 1900 ‘The Taiping Rebellion and Second Opium War’” (n.d.): 7. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h38china.htm.
“Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan” (n.d.). http://www.grifworld.com/perryhome.html.
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. Revolutionary Players, “A Portrait of James Watt,” 2012,
http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=53&originator=/engine/custom/people.asp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=163&text=0&resource=17.
[ 2 ]. Robin Blackburn, “Enslavement and Industrialisation,” BBC British History, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/industrialisation_article_01.shtml.
[ 3 ]. James Kurth, “Western Civilization, Our Tradition,” 2004, http://www.mmisi.org/ir/39_01_2/kurth.pdf.
[ 4 ]. Jonathan Spence, “Qianlong: Ruler, Connoisseur, and Scholar,” 2004, http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_article/pg_24-30_qianlong.pdf.
[ 5 ]. Johnathan Farris, “Thirteen Factories of Canton: An Architecture of Sino-Western Collaboration and Confrontation,” 2007, http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bdl/summary/v014/14.1farris.html.
[ 6 ]. Alain Le Pichon, China Trade and Empire, 2006. pp.36-37
[ 7 ]. “BRITISH IMPERIALISM and ASIA, to 1900 ‘The Taiping Rebellion and Second Opium War’” (n.d.): 7, http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h38china.htm.
[ 8 ]. “Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan” (n.d.), http://www.grifworld.com/perryhome.html.
[ 9 ]. Office of the HISTORIAN, “MILESTONES: 1899-1913” (2012), http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/ChineseRev.
[ 10 ]. Ibid.
Wilson Lu
1030700031
After the defeat by the British Empire in the First Opium War in 1820 led to the Treaty of Nanjing (1842), under which the cession of Hong Kong and opium was legitimized. The so call sinocentrism ebbed and flowed with China’s might and glory. The foreign trades were growing quickly due to China’s wealth not allowed Chinese monarchs to restrict and foreign countries threatened the Chinese. At the same time, it is first time that mutual influence between China and the west is more appropriate after 1840s. This paper will mainly focus on the discussion about what are the major impetuses for Chinese attitude …show more content…
towards the western world change between 1880s and 1920s.
What was the old world like? Industrialization vs. Confucianism.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the UK experienced a great improve in agricultural productivity known as the British Agricultural Revolution, which enabled an unprecedented population growth in western world and it also have a significant role to the Industrial Revolution. Isaac Newton monograph Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Latin for "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" published in 1687, laid the foundations for most of classical mechanics. After that Matthew Boulton and James Watt they entered into a partnership and Watt developed several inventions, which improved the steam engine. It is first time human being do not need to rely on natural power. After that, the steam engine was claimed to be the landmark of industrial revolution and Watt also named the father of industrial revolution. When Boulton and Watt those Scotland people were perfecting the engine a scholar called Adam Smith was editing his drafts. This draft could view as a special engine, which advocated people’s wealth growing and it provided power to the society changing continuously. The draft published in 1776 named An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, also usually abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations. It considered the first modern work of economics, which make sure the accumulation of capital allowed investments in the conception and application of new technologies, enabling the industrialization process to continue to evolve. The industrialization process formed a class of industrial workers who had more money to spend than their agricultural cousins. They spent this on items such as tobacco and sugar, creating new mass markets that stimulated more investment as merchants sought to exploit them. The mechanization of production spread to the countries surrounding England geographically in Europe such as France and to British settler colonies, helping to make those areas the wealthiest, and shaping what is now known as the Western world.
By the end of Qianlong Emperor’s long reign, the Qing Empire was at its top. China ruled more than one over third of the world’s population, and had the largest economy in the world. By area of extent, it was one of the largest empires ever in history. The core of the dynasty was Confucianism, the belief that human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self- creation. Those six books and four class were the textbook for the imperial civil service examination (Keju). At that time society divided into four classes name as Gentry, peasant, monk and merchant. Merchant class is the lowest class in the traditional Chinese society. It was because they do not produce anything, only profit from others’ creations. Ironically, the merchant class was more affluent than farmers and artisans and held influence above and beyond their supposed social standing.
Opium War I&II
The First Opium War was fought between the UK and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade. Before that that war, western people was tread badly by Chinese, in fact, British people just want trade fairly, such as wool sell in market. But the imperial government only allowed them trade in Thirteen Factories(十三行), near Shameen Island.
High-value luxury items such as tea and silver dominated the Sino-Anglo trade; to the extent the European specie metals became widely used in China. Opium as another good to both reduces the trade deficit and finally gain profit from the formerly money-losing Indian Colony and the Qing government originally tolerated the importation of opium.
The Second Opium War was lasting from 1856 to 1860. It was fought over similar issues as the First Opium War. The 1850s saw the rapid growth of imperialism. Some of the shared goals of the western powers were the expansion of their overseas markets and the establishment of new ports of call. The French Treaty of Huangpu and the American Wangxia Treaty both contained clauses allowing renegotiation of the treaties. In an effort to expand the Britain privileges in China, who were demanded included opening all of China to UK, legalizing the opium trade, regulation of the coolie trade etc. Notably speaking, the results were EXTRATERRITORALITY, MOST FAVOURITE NATION STATUS, TREATY PROT and CESSION OF HONKONG TO THE BRITISH.
Self-Strengthening Movement
During the late Qing dynasty following a series of military defeats and concessions to western world, Qing government reformed its institutions for example the Zongli Yamen(Office of Foreign Affairs) was formed. As a result of treaties with the Western powers, the two ports of Tianjin and Shanghai were opened. Two officials titled Commissioner of Trade for the southern and northern ports, respectively were appointed to administer foreign trade matters at the newly opened ports. The military was modernized, this seen to be the most important goal of the Self-Strengthening Movement. The Qing government tried to develop military industries to strengthen the navy. It was believed that the Chinese civilization was superior to those of Western “Barbarians”, and thus China would first learn from foreigners, the equal them, and finally surpass them.
However, corrupt officials, cynicism, and quarrels within the imperial family undermined the reform. At that time the Imperial Government of China sent the very first delegation of students abroad. Between 1872 and 1875, the Qing government dispatched 4 groups, in total 120students to the US. Their average age was only 12.
Sino-Japanese War
After Comodore Matthew Perry’s first visited japan with his “black ship” on july 9th, 1853 and the fall of the Tokugawa Bakufu and Meiji Restoration Japan found another way to strengthen itself. During the Meiji Restoration period the Japanese had sent delegations and students around the world in order to learn and assimilate western arts and science. This was done not only to prevent japan from falling under foreign domination but to enable japan to compete equally with the Western powers.
After the Sino-Japanese War, the treaty of Shimonoseki was signed. It represent a clear indication of the failure of the Qing dynasty’s attempts to modernize its military and fend off threats to its sovereignty, especially compare with Japanese successful post-Meiji restoration. For the first time, regional dominance in East Asia shifted from China to Japan. Then the prestige of the Qing Dynasty, along with the classical tradition in china suffered a major blow. Within China, the defeat was a catalyst for a series of revolutions and political changes led by Sun Yat-Sen and Kang Youwei. Those trends would later manifest in the 1911 Revolution.
1911 Revolution
In October of 1911, a group of revolutionaries in southern China led a successful revolt against the Qing Dynasty, establishing in its place the Republic of China and ending the imperial system.
In the Nineteenth Century, the Qing Empire faced a number of challenges to its rule, including a number of foreign incursions into Chinese territory. The two Opium Wars against Western powers led by Great Britain resulted in the loss of Hong Kong, forced opening of “treaty ports” for international trade, and large foreign “concessions” in major cities privileged with extraterritorial rule. After its loss in the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), Imperial China was forced to relinquish control over still more of its territory, losing Taiwan and parts of Manchuria and ending its suzerainty over Korea. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)firmly established Japanese claims to the Northeast and further weakened Qing rule. Finally, after the competition between Yuan Shikai and Sun Yat-Sen, Sun won it and was elected as the provisional president of the newly declared Republic of China.
According to the history events I have wrote above, the western technologies and thoughts advocated Chinese attitude towards the western world change between 1880s and 1920s. Chinese was consider western citizens as “barbarian” just like the role of Korea before, then after the western society developing China seen to be left backward and Western powers were bulling Chinese and those unequal treaties are the best evident. During that period, Chinese actually looking for way to enrich the country, strengthen the military and learned from Western powers.
Bibliographies:
Blackburn, Robin. “Enslavement and Industrialisation.” BBC British History, 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/industrialisation_article_01.shtml.
Farris, Johnathan. “Thirteen Factories of Canton: An Architecture of Sino-Western Collaboration and Confrontation,” 2007. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bdl/summary/v014/14.1farris.html.
Kurth, James.
“Western Civilization, Our Tradition,” 2004. http://www.mmisi.org/ir/39_01_2/kurth.pdf.
Office of the HISTORIAN. “MILESTONES: 1899-1913” (2012). http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/ChineseRev.
Le Pichon, Alain. China Trade and Empire, 2006.
Revolutionary Players. “A Portrait of James Watt,” 2012. http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=53&originator=/engine/custom/people.asp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=163&text=0&resource=17.
Spence, Jonathan. “Qianlong: Ruler, Connoisseur, and Scholar,” 2004. http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_article/pg_24-30_qianlong.pdf.
“BRITISH IMPERIALISM and ASIA, to 1900 ‘The Taiping Rebellion and Second Opium War’” (n.d.): 7. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h38china.htm.
“Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan” (n.d.). http://www.grifworld.com/perryhome.html.
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. Revolutionary Players, “A Portrait of James Watt,” 2012,
http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=53&originator=/engine/custom/people.asp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=163&text=0&resource=17.
[ 2 ]. Robin Blackburn, “Enslavement and Industrialisation,” BBC British History, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/industrialisation_article_01.shtml.
[ 3 ]. James Kurth, “Western Civilization, Our Tradition,” 2004, http://www.mmisi.org/ir/39_01_2/kurth.pdf.
[ 4 ]. Jonathan Spence, “Qianlong: Ruler, Connoisseur, and Scholar,” 2004, http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_article/pg_24-30_qianlong.pdf.
[ 5 ]. Johnathan Farris, “Thirteen Factories of Canton: An Architecture of Sino-Western Collaboration and Confrontation,” 2007, http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/bdl/summary/v014/14.1farris.html.
[ 6 ]. Alain Le Pichon, China Trade and Empire, 2006. pp.36-37
[ 7 ]. “BRITISH IMPERIALISM and ASIA, to 1900 ‘The Taiping Rebellion and Second Opium War’” (n.d.): 7, http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h38china.htm.
[ 8 ]. “Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan” (n.d.), http://www.grifworld.com/perryhome.html.
[ 9 ]. Office of the HISTORIAN, “MILESTONES: 1899-1913” (2012), http://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/ChineseRev.
[ 10 ]. Ibid.